Anything But Civil by Anna Loan-Wilsey, a Mysterious Review.

Review: It is December 1892 and traveling secretary Hattie Davish has been hired by Sir Arthur Windom-Greene, a British scholar interested in the history of America's Civil War, to accompany him to Galena, Illinois, home of Ulysses S. Grant, to interview Cornelius Skarrett. Now a retired Union General, Skarrett was present at Appomattox, Virginia when General Robert E. Lee surrendered on April 9th, 1865 ending the Civil War. It soon becomes obvious to observant and clever Hattie that though the war ended over twenty-five years ago, there is still dissension among the residents of Galena. Those opposed to the war were called, and still are being called, “traitors” and “copperheads”. General Skarrett's son, Henry, is a leader of those who want to disgrace, fight and if necessary kill the copperheads. Although some of their homes were damaged, and some men were beaten and ridiculed, it was Henry that is found murdered. Inexplicably, Sir Arthur is arrested for the murder, and he asks Hattie to use her considerable talents and keen observations to seek out the murderer, in Anything But Civil, the second mystery in this series by Anna Loan-Wilsey.

There is no shortage of suspects, and lies and secrets seem to be the order of the day in this very entertaining mystery. Hattie is a delightful character, whose "have typewriter, will travel" can-do attitude is perfect for the task at hand. She is at something of a disadvantage in her efforts; though Sir Arthur treats her as an equal, the upper class members of the community think of her as a servant, as do the servants of their homes, who think she is reaching above her status. The cast is well drawn, the region and its history forming a strong backdrop to Hattie's investigation, and the murder mystery storyline intriguing and suspenseful to the end. Highly recommended for fans of historical mystery fiction and strong female sleuths.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Anything But Civil.

Acknowledgment: Kensington Books provided a copy of Anything But Civil for this review.

A Lack of Temperance
Kensington Books (Trade Paperback), September 2012
ISBN-13: 9780758276346; ISBN-10: 0758276346

A Sense of Entitlement
Kensington Books (Trade Paperback), June 2014
ISBN-13: 9780758276384; ISBN-10: 0758276389

Anything But Civil

A Hattie Davish Mystery by Anna Loan-Wilsey